Conventional electronic and computing devices enable a user to navigate or input a choice or selection in a number of ways. For example, a user can use an alphanumeric keyboard communicatively connected to the computing device to indicate a choice or selection. Additionally, a user can use a cursor control device communicatively connected to the computing device to indicate a choice. Also, a user can use a microphone communicatively connected to the computing device to audibly indicate a particular selection. Moreover, touch sensing technology can be used to provide an input selection to a computing device or other type of electronic device. In the field of touch sensing technology, there exist several touch sensors which are used for navigation and other input to electronic and computing devices.
One type of touch sensor is the capacitive touch sensor, which senses capacitive changes in response to being touched by a user, such as with a user's finger. A problem that exists with capacitive sensors, and especially those which are non-moving and configured for being actuated by a user's finger, is that they provide little or no feedback to indicate to a user that actuation of the sensor has taken place or that activation may be about to take place. Consider, for example, a capacitive sensor configured as a non-moving “button” input to an electronic device. Because the “button” does not move, a user is provided with no feedback in the form of clicking, movement, or bottoming out to indicate the “button” has been adequately touched to actuate it. Similarly, a hovering palm or inadvertent contact may cause activation without warning or intent. This lack of feedback tends to irritate users, and also causes users to needlessly repress a “button” which has already been successfully actuated, or to press a “button” they do not intend. Some solutions to this problem are to add feedback in the form of a light, a sound (either electrically or mechanically generated), or a movement. However, these solutions add cost and complexity to the capacitive touch sensor and are often impractical for the environments in which capacitive sensors are used. Furthermore, existing solutions may require spacing between “buttons” to be large in order to maintain usability of individual buttons, thus resulting in a lower “button” density than desired.
Thus, a capacitive sensor that addresses one or more of the above-mentioned issues would be advantageous.